LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 54
After finishing the broadcast, I stood still for a while.
My fingertips trembled slightly.
Exhaling roughly, my shoulders shook.
“That was an excellent speech,” James said.
“This should change public opinion a bit. There are many earthlings who have never trusted the government or the police. No, all the countries spread across this galaxy are the same. Following power one hundred percent is the act of fools.”
Thinking about the fact that he was in quite a high position himself due to that ‘power’ made me feel a bit strange…
But then again, James was a businessman, not a politician or a minister. No matter how much money a businessman has in this country, they bow before congressional members, so perhaps I was wrong about him being that high up.
It was simply that I seemed to be lower than him.
“Was the broadcast done correctly?”
“Yes. I have confidence in my abilities.”
“…Why couldn’t the current chairman stop it?”
“Because he was someone who had never been on-site. He must have thought he was smart. But having been on the scene, I can tell he couldn’t think of things that those below him could just do with a simple command.”
And then I scared away the people in the building.
How could they manage to escape so neatly?
Perhaps it was just a twist of fate.
I didn’t want to kill anyone, so I scared those gathered in the first-floor shopping mall to drive them away.
Some staff probably came down first to help those people escape.
And already, there had been casualties because one of this company’s other buildings had exploded due to ‘me.’ Even the intruders who came here were all linked to me, so those who thought something similar could happen again, even without knowing the details, might have been numerous.
Whether the government turned a blind eye or not, both the federation and the company had to pay at least some attention to public opinion. They would have probably conducted at least a show evacuation drill.
That evacuation drill was something James had predicted beforehand.
“They probably thought it was sufficient. After all, they had a lot of troops hidden here. Those aliens could only move because you came, right?”
Seemingly wanting to see my reaction, James emphasized that it was because of ‘my’ energy that those circuits started to move.
The restraints that tightly bound the aliens immediately became armor amplifying my power, releasing the aliens.
I managed to push the plan through to the end, but I almost ended up being captured without achieving anything.
“Those who only think with their heads cannot understand the variables on the scene. They believe the world will move as expected by their clever minds and come up with ‘neat’ ways to deal with various variables — but, well, you know. Variables don’t only pop up in ways I like.”
I stared intently at James.
He had a face that seemed rather proud.
Now that I thought about it, James was indeed a high officer occupying a position in this main building, yet he always came out to the field to lead the combatants directly.
I had imagined he was just out here blinded by power, but perhaps it wasn’t.
Since the subordinates he just hired with money might not do their jobs well without a supervisor.
If there had been anyone capable of thinking left in this place, the plan would have gotten much harder.
If they had even destroyed the broadcast room…
“Well, this wraps up the work. All that’s left is to escape, but—”
James’s gaze shifted behind me.
“—before that, is there any conversation you’d like to have? You don’t seem to have the intention to attack at least. I might have some time for a few minutes.”
“….”
Yeah.
I was consciously avoiding looking back.
Ha-yoon was behind me. My face was reflected on the screen but not Ha-yoon’s, as she was positioned just a little behind me.
Ha-yoon had helped me. Other magical girls who followed her did as well.
Why?
I still couldn’t fully understand. To magical girls, I must certainly be the terrorist they need to capture.
No, that’s not it.
The magical girls were there too. They could easily deduce that what I did wasn’t my intent.
If that’s the case, the only remaining reason was that they simply acted for the sake of the federation.
They hadn’t actively protested me, nor had they previously acted for my benefit, so why was today different?
Not knowing that, I was terrified to look back at Ha-yoon.
What would I think when I saw her face?
What expression would Ha-yoon wear when she looked at me?
I… still wasn’t ready to accept everything. Even if Ha-yoon suddenly treated me kindly here — I wanted that too, but—
—at the same time, I didn’t want to accept it right away.
I wanted to get angrier. I wanted to create a ruckus. I wanted to hate those who despised me fully.
It was a desperate situation, but ironically, I felt free because I could flail around in it. When swinging the hammer, I didn’t have to think at all.
Ha-yoon was waiting.
She didn’t bother to call my name or chastise me, nor did she turn away disappointed, hoping I would just look her way.
Should I escape like this?
Just like I had until now.
But I knew that wouldn’t do.
I looked at James.
James twisted his mouth into a smirk. He was laughing. Seeing me deep in thought, contemplating a serious expression about the choice of ‘to turn back’ or not.
Wasn’t he just enjoying my frustration and pain? A sadist, that little hamster.
Annoyed by his expression, I turned around.
There was Ha-yoon.
I couldn’t see the other magical girls.
They probably hadn’t left yet. They were just waiting for the two of us to have a conversation.
To be precise, they were waiting ‘to see what Ha-yoon wanted.’
“….”
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
Then I opened my eyes.
In front of me was Ha-yoon.
It was a mess. I thought she might be worse than I was. She was torn and bruised, bleeding here and there, yet standing firm.
She was looking at me.
What should I say?
Should I thank her? The fact that she was here while I was making various emotional mistakes, the fact that I could achieve my goals was all thanks to Ha-yoon and the magical girls’ help.
Could I have defeated so many aliens by myself? Could I have pleaded on the broadcast that I was innocent and given warnings?
No, I probably wouldn’t have been able to.
Whether I went to the orphanage or not, I probably would have failed.
It was only because Ha-yoon and her companions came here that I was able to succeed. They helped me without even asking what I was trying to do.
But still.
I couldn’t bring myself to say thank you. That expression felt as if it was stuck in my throat.
Instead.
“…Why?”
I ended up asking such a question.
Embarrassed, I spoke words I didn’t mean, standing awkwardly in this situation — it wasn’t that reason.
I genuinely didn’t know.
“Why did you help?”
At my question, Ha-yoon’s expression slightly crumbled.
“I’m your enemy, after all.”
That’s right. The reason why the magical girls came was probably to capture me. There wouldn’t have been any reason for them to come otherwise.
These kids didn’t know that there were aliens hidden on this top floor.
“You are part of the Eun-ha Federation. So… shouldn’t you not be helping with this?”
My warning wasn’t only directed at the chairman of this company.
Those who had pushed me this far. Whether it was the government or the federation. I couldn’t deal with all of them, but at least I wanted to take down those above them once.
And the magical girls exist to prevent things like that from happening.
“Why? Why go this far?”
“….”
Ha-yoon’s gaze fell.
That wasn’t what I wanted.
I hoped she would articulate herself more clearly.
I felt jealous. Jealous of Ha-yoon who was supported by people as a representative of justice, no matter the situation.
Not just using a dark and dreary power like despair but utilizing this marvelous power that fit incredibly well with the protagonist known as hope.
I often thought how wonderful it would have been if I had been born as Ha-yoon instead of being someone with no parents.
And because of that, I wanted to win.
It wasn’t to hurt her.
So I wished she would say a little more clearly without fumbling over her words.
Because it was something I couldn’t do.
If only Ha-yoon spoke first.
Everything would be okay. I would begin moving for her. We would crush the Eun-ha Federation and everything else together. I would help her with revenge.
It would have been nice if she said that.
Ha-yoon said nothing.
“….”
And, at the same time, I wished she wouldn’t.
I hoped she would remain on the opposite side. I wanted there to be a reason for me to be hostile towards her.
That way, we could clash. I wanted to win even once.
Such selfish thoughts.
It was neither here nor there, just something I could think of as usual.
A childlike selfishness that would react against either choice.
But Ha-yoon didn’t choose either option.
Without speaking, Ha-yoon lowered her head and handed something to me.
It was a calling device.
The calling device I had seen when I caught the alien stalker with Ha-yoon last time.
“Oh.”
James, who had been watching Ha-yoon and me, reacted with interest as he said that.
*
“Why?”
Ha-yoon couldn’t easily come up with a response to that.
The reason was simple.
Just because the other was Ji-eun.
If that had been someone else, would she have acted that way?
If someone other than Ji-eun was up on the top floor instead, and that person was in the same situation as Ji-eun, would Ha-yoon not have helped that person?
No. She would have.
But at the same time, it could also mean she would try to reason with them.
Moving like this brings no gain. In the end, what awaits is self-destruction.
Rather, she would assist me. No matter how, she’d support me until the best outcome could come about, telling me to come along.
…That was something she could never say to Ji-eun.
That was obvious.
It’s because those were words she could say only because she didn’t understand the other person’s heart. Because she couldn’t empathize with the depths of their situation.
To Ha-yoon, Ji-eun was not that kind of person.
What food did Ji-eun like? What did she do when they met outside on a day off? What menu did she often order at the café, and what kind of streets did she like?
What kind of expressions did she make when she was happy? How did she smile? What tendencies did she show when holding back tears while watching a sad movie?
Ji-eun didn’t hold Ha-yoon’s hand or link arms when walking beside her.
But somehow, Ji-eun felt closer than those kids who did such things naturally.
That was because it was so comfortable.
I knew.
Even without holding hands or linking arms, Ji-eun would enjoy walking alongside Ha-yoon. I knew she thought being with Ha-yoon was delightful—
Thus, logically speaking about legality, what was right or wrong, what was justice or not would crumble completely before that reason.
No matter how identical in appearance and past someone was, Ha-yoon couldn’t treat Ji-eun the same way.
She must have been completely unaware of that fact.
Whenever Ha-yoon thought of Ji-eun, she couldn’t even think about what it felt like to have a stabbing feeling in her heart.
That’s why she couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Ji-eun’s expression was telling her not to do that.
…Destruction, wasn’t it?
Ji-eun’s life was already shattered. Even when everything ends, I couldn’t know if it could return to its original state. Ha-yoon painfully felt that truth. If she were a stranger, she wouldn’t have understood why Ji-eun disappeared halfway through.
It was already destroyed, was there anything more to destroy? Ji-eun could only move towards the end.
Opening her mouth felt like tears would spill out.
She knew that she was the one who had ruined her closest and most precious friend’s life.
She thought nothing she said about not knowing would earn her forgiveness.
“….”
Ji-eun was kind.
Even now, while holding back her tears, she was asking Ha-yoon. What was everything she had done to her until now, and why was she being like this now?
I wanted to apologize.
But could I?
Would it seem like I was trying to solve the painful time with just a mere apology?
The thought of what Ji-eun had been through during that time — Ha-yoon couldn’t even begin to imagine. Where had she hidden herself? What had she eaten, and how had she slept and washed?
Every thought made it worse.
She would never have had the chance to live comfortably in a nice house, enjoying everything.
…She could never have lived like Ha-yoon.
Not being able to leave school and not meeting those who were like family to her.
Was it okay to apologize without knowing any of those things?
In the end, Ha-yoon’s choice was neither this nor that.
Ha-yoon suddenly reached out her hand.
It was the calling device. The device Ha-yoon always carried with her. When magical girls encountered dangerous situations or when the federation had something they needed to assign, they could communicate using this calling device.
And once she extended her hand, she realized how foolish that was.
The calling device contains location information. Naturally, it would be used to call each other.
Wasn’t giving this to Ji-eun no different from monitoring her?
But.
“Oh.”
James reacted in that way.
*
“Let’s take that.”
Hearing what James said, I turned around, bewildered.
It’s a calling device. Of course, it would be tracked, wouldn’t it?
“If we put it in the subspace for now, it won’t be traceable. Even if it could, at least it won’t be where you are.”
That… wasn’t strictly wrong.
But in truth, I didn’t know exactly what that subspace was. It might not even be subspace and could simply be hiding it roughly somewhere in this vast universe.
At least I hadn’t been cooked by cosmic radiation while opening it until now, so it shouldn’t be a dangerous place, right?
“And if it’s a tracking device, I can remove it. Simultaneously, I’ll still be able to receive calls. By bypassing various networks, they won’t be able to track me immediately.”
What a capable guy he was.
Well, all of the equipment I used until now had been made by him, after all.
“….”
I turned my body to look at Ha-yoon again.
Ha-yoon still had her head down, extending that calling device toward me.
I reached out to take the calling device and held it.
It was just an ordinary button made of plastic.
For a moment, I fiddled with it, then looked up at Ha-yoon.
I should say thank you.
But those words got stuck in my throat.
“So…”
Instead, I tried to think clearly and said the next words.
“What will you do now?”
That was probably something Ha-yoon wanted to ask me too.
In truth, I didn’t have a response to that question. I genuinely had no plan anymore.
I thought this might end here, which was exactly why I had said goodbye to Pang-pang like that.
So perhaps out of fear that I couldn’t answer and was hesitating, I just brought up such words first.
“I…”
Ha-yoon opened her mouth.
Even in front of me, she often showed a powerless expression. When people ignored her on purpose, when she received attention from someone who didn’t care, or when the focus of all eyes was on her.
But that expression of Ha-yoon was just her usual self.
When she wore her magical girl outfit, Ha-yoon always shone. No matter how tough the fight, she would smile and look at people, always proud.
I had only seen that face on TV. I had encountered her in battle many times, but in reality, I was always busy fleeing after losing.
Watching that, I always felt jealous.
So I didn’t feel well about it.
But I said nothing. I didn’t feel good about the fact that my mind wasn’t in order. It was too self-centered.
…What I disliked the most was that my feelings never went in line.
“I will do what I can,” Ha-yoon said, raising her head.
And finally, she looked straight at me.
“….”
Her eyes shined.
She wasn’t smiling, but her gaze looked at me with strength.
Those were the eyes Ha-yoon had always had when facing combat.
“…Okay.”
I answered that way.
I took a step back.
I heard the sound of drones flying in. They seemed to have been preparing while we were talking.
Should I say goodbye?
Should I say see you again?
After contemplating, I decided to simply keep looking at Ha-yoon until the very end.